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council tax

council tax

1 4.1
A tax charged by the local council based on a home's value and the people living there
  • noun
  • /ˈkaʊnsl tæks/
  • UK
translation icon : impuesto municipal
  • Technically, English councils can increase council tax by 3.5%—the level at which the government has promised to cap rates—but few have.

So I'm going to use the limited powers I have and raise council tax.

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Examples

  • Homeowners can apply for a reduction in their council tax if their property value has decreased.

  • And if it does not meet this test, council tax will be due.

  • People were having their council tax reduced.

    Blog text (23)
  • We will fund councils to freeze council tax for the next two years.

  • They applied for a reduction in council tax because of the reduction in value.

    Blog text (23)
  • On top of that, you could, if you're struggling with council tax, speak to your local authority to see if they are able to lower your council tax repayments.

  • Many families are struggling to pay their council tax due to rising property values.

  • The local government announced an increase in council tax to fund community services.

Synonyms

tax
vscouncil tax
1.0

A charge people must pay to the government on income or property

is a specific local UK form tied to property value and household counts
property tax
vscouncil tax
85 3.2

A tax local governments charge on houses and land based on how much they are worth

includes number of occupants as a factor and is specific to UK local authorities
land tax
vscouncil tax
  • UK
1 3.2

A payment to the local government for owning land

is broader, using full property value and sometimes household numbers
rates
vscouncil tax
  • Archaic
1 6.9

A tax local councils charge on houses and land to pay for local services

is the current UK local charge that uses property value and household counts

Surface Forms

council tax singular
council taxes plural

Morphology

council + tax

The compound is compositionally built from 'council' (local authority) + 'tax' (mandatory charge), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a tax charged by the local council; this is a straightforward noun–noun compounding pattern common across languages. Although the exact UK-specific mechanism (property-value basis, billing rules) may not be deducible, the general meaning is clear to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Council tax comes from the simple idea that the local council collects a tax from homes to pay for services. Imagine your town council asking each household to 'pay' money depending on the home's value and who lives there, so council tax means the local tax you pay on your property.